Personal hygiene device

ABSTRACT

A personal hygiene device has a housing to which a length of flexible air hose is attached. The housing has a switch controlled wiring system connected to an electrical supply and a valve controlled conduit system connected to a water supply. An electric heating element and fan in the housing when activated by the switch supplies warm filtered air to the air hose whereas a housing valve controls the passage of water to a flexible line. The flexible line and the air hose both are connected to a manually operated applicator which selectively discharges water and air for the purpose of personal hygiene.

United States Patent Colucci 51 May 16,1972

[541 PERSONAL HYGIENE DEVICE [21] Appl. No.: 40,321

52 U.S. Cl ..4/7 [51] Int. Cl A47k 3/22, A47k 1 1/08 [58] Field of Search ..4/7, 6, l

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,513,487 5/1970 Palermoetal ..4/7 3,545,015 12/1970 Richardson,Jr.et al ..4/7

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 879,079 6/1953 Germany ..4/7

Primary Examinerl-lenry K. Artis Attorney-Mack D. Cook, 111

[57 ABSTRACT A personal hygiene device has a housing to which a length of flexible air hose is attached. The housing has a switch controlled wiring system connected to an electrical supply and a valve controlled conduit system connected to a water supply. An electric heating element and fan in the housing when activated by the switch supplies warm filtered air to the air hose whereas a housing valve controls the passage of water to a flexible line. The flexible line and the air hose both are connected to a manually operated applicator which selectively discharges water and air for the purpose of personal hygiene.

8 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures United States Patent Colucci PATENTEDMAY 16 I972 SHEET 1 0F 2 IN NTOR.

DONALD BY W,

ATTORNEYS PATENTEDMAY 16 I972 3, 662.407

SHEET 2 BF 2 DO 'ALD'E. COLU ATTORNEYS @Ww1W BACKGROUND'OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to an improved manually operated personal hygiene device adapted for use with a commode and particularly to such a device for washing and air drying the anus region of a person.

Personal hygiene devices have heretofore required a large amount of plumbing in order to be installed and furthermore have tended to be complicated. Other devices necessitated a partial reconstruction of certain parts of a toilet unit. Another device has eliminated most of these problems but is undesirable since a directional water discharge nozzle is located within a toilet bowl and cannot be readily re-aimed during use of the device.

SUMMARY or THE INVENTION Another object of the invention is to provide a personal hy- I giene device which may be adjacent to or integral with a commode.

A further object of the invention is to provide a personal hygiene device which selectively discharges warm water and also selectively discharges warm air for drying areas of the human body.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a personal hygiene device in which both the warm air and water are selectively discharged through an applicator attachment.

An even further object of the invention is to provide a personal hygiene device which has a second warm air discharging means.

These and other objects will become apparent from the following specification and are accomplished by structures hereinafter described and claimed.

The housing of a personal hygiene device is adapted for use with a commode and has a valve controlled conduit system which is connected at one end to a water supply and terminates at the other end in a coupling. A wiring system connected to an electrical supply powers an air fan in the housing. An air conduit in the housing extends past the fan to the receiver and is extended beyond the receiver outside of the housing in the form of a flexible length of hose. A flexible water line is connected to the conduit system and both the air hose and water line terminate in an applicator which selectively discharges water and air for purposes of personal hygiene.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective drawing showing a personal hygiene device adjacent to a commode.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross section view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross section view of the applicator.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section view showing an alternative embodiment of the receiver.

FIG. 5 is a front elevation showing a personal hygiene device being integral with a commode.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A manually operated personal hygiene device generally indicated by the numeral has a housing 11 which is adapted for use with a commode 12. The housing 11 may be mounted adjacent to a conventional commode as shown in FIG. 1 or may be integral with the commode as shown in FIG. 5.

A conduit system 15 located in the housing has a conventional valve 16 to control the flow of water. The conduit system has an inlet line 17 connected to a water supply 18. The water supply may be a cold water source such as cold water line 19. However, the water supply preferably also consists of a warm water source such as warm water line 21, to which warm water inlet line 22 is connected. Inlet lines 17 and 22 may have their water supply ends threaded to receive a nut 23 or otherwise adapted to be connected to the water supply. Where the water supply constitutes a warm and a cold water line, valve 16 of course is of a temperature regulating type.

Handle 25 of valve 16 thus controls the temperature range as well as the flow of water out of the conduit system through outlet line 26. A coupling or connector 31 located in housing 11 communicates with a conventional flexible line 33 which at its outer end is connected to an applicator 60.

A switch controlled wiring system 35 of a conventional nature is connected to an electric supply as at wall plug 36. The system is connected to an air fan 37 powered by an electric motor 38 and preferably to a heating element 39. Completion of a circuit in the wiring system as regulated by a multiple push button contact switch 41 activates either motor 38 or both motor 38 and heating element 39. A circuit breaker 42 may be connected across the heating element lines to prevent overloading.

An air conduit 45 has an air intake duct 46 and encloses the fan 37 and heating element 39. The air conduit 45 terminates at receiver 30. However, a length of flexible air hose 47 is attached to receiver 30 and conducts the air to an applicator 60. Air hose 47 may be corrugated as at 48 to enable the hose to fold or collapse when not in use. If desired, a replaceable filter 49 may be placed in the duct 46 to clean the intake air.

As an alternative embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 4, receiver 30 has at least a second collapsible hose 5] extending therefrom. The flow of air may be regulated to either hose in any conventional manner such as gate 53 slidably received within gate track 54 of the receiver. At lever 55 pivoted on housing 11 provides a suitable means whereby the gate 53 may selectively be moved to block passage of air to either air hose or to allow a reduced amount of air to flow to both hoses.

Air hose 51 may be attached to any attachment 56 adapted to receive a flow of ambient or warm air. For example, the attachment may be a hair dryer or a plastic bag thus allowing a woman to dry her hair. The attachment may further simply consist of a nozzle so that the air may be used to dry articles such as combs or to dry parts of a person such as ones hands and face.

The outer end of hose 47 is suitably attached to applicator 60. The applicator attachment may have a removable base 61 which secures air hose 47 to the applicator in communication with air duct 62. The applicator also is constructed to receive water and discharge the water in association with the air. This facet of the applicator is achieved by the removable base additionally connecting the end of flexible water line 33 which may be located interiorly of hose 47 to water duct 63. Handle 64 selectively discharges the water from duct 63 through nozzle assembly 65 into the stream of warm air. The nozzle assembly consists of pin 66 seated in nozzle seat 67 and biased by spring 68. Guide 69 of the nozzle is removable to facilitate inspection and replacement of pin 66 and spring 68.

The operation of the personal hygiene device is very simple and convenient. A person need only aim and press applicator handle 64 to discharge a stream of water. Should the water temperature not be to the personal satisfaction of an individual, temperature control handle 25 on housing 11 is rotated until a desirous setting is achieved. Completion of the circuit in wiring system 35 by multiple contact switch 41 will actuate the fan and the heating element to supply clean and pleasant drying warm air whether or not the applicator is discharging water. The applicator in combining the discharge of the air along with the water of course eliminates the need for an extrinsic aid or means to dry the area desired. Furthermore, the personal hygiene device in being made of conventional elements and materials is inexpensive to manufacture.

It should thus be evident that a device constructed according to the concept of the present invention as described herein, accomplishes the aforementioned objectives and otherwise substantially improves the personal hygiene art.

I claim:

l. A personal hygiene device characterized in that a housing is adapted for use with a commode, said housing having a valve controlled conduit system adapted for connection to a water supply, a switch controlled wiring system adapted for connection to an electric supply, said housing having an air fan powered by said wiring system, an air conduit from said fan to a receiver, a length of flexible hose attached to said receiver for conducting air from said receiver, said conduit system communicating with a flexible water line for carrying water from said conduit system, and a manually operated applicator attachment on the outer end of said flexible hose and said water line for selective discharge of air and water for purposes of personal hygiene.

2. A personal hygiene device, as set forth in claim 1, in which said air conduit has an electric heating element so that said applicator discharges warm air.

3. A personal hygiene device, as set forth in claim 1, in

which said water supply is a hot and cold water source so that said applicator discharges a temperature range of water.

4. A personal hygiene device, as set forth in claim 1, in which said housing is mounted adjacent to said commode.

5. A personal hygiene device, as set forth in claim 1, in which said flexible water line is located interiorly of said flexible hose.

6. A personal hygiene device, as set forth in claim 1, in which said housing is integral with said commode.

7. A personal hygiene device, as set forth in claim 1, in which at least a second flexible hose is attached to said receiver.

8. A personal hygiene device, as set forth in claim 7, in which said receiver has a gate slidably received within a track so as to regulate the flow of air to one of said hoses. 

1. A personal hygiene device characterized in that a housing is adapted for use with a commode, said housing having a valve controlled conduit system adapted for connection to a water supply, a switch controlled wiring system adapted for connection to an electric supply, said housing having an air fan powered by said wiring system, an air conduit from said fan to a receiver, a length of flexible hose attached to said receiver for conducting air from said receiver, said conduit system communicating with a flexible water line for carrying water from said conduit system, and a manually operated applicator attachment on the outer end of said flexible hose and said water line for selective discharge of air and water for purposes of personal hygiene.
 2. A personal hygiene device, as set forth in claim 1, in which said air conduit has an electric heating element so that said applicator discharges warm air.
 3. A personal hygiene device, as set forth in claim 1, in which said water supply is a hot and cold water source so that said applicator discharges a temperature range of water.
 4. A personal hygiene device, as set forth in claim 1, in which said housing is mounted adjacent to said commode.
 5. A personal hygiene device, as set forth in claim 1, in which said flexible water line is located interiorly of said flexible hose.
 6. A personal hygiene device, as set forth in claim 1, in which said housing is integral with said commode.
 7. A personal hygiene device, as set forth in claim 1, in which at least a second flexible hose is attached to said receiver.
 8. A personal hygiene device, as set forth in claim 7, in which said receiver has a gate slidably received within a track so as to regulate the flow of air to one of said hoses. 